Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve

Of all the local trails, Cuba Marsh may be my favorite. It’s connection to Citizens Park makes the 6 mile path fine for a leisurely bike ride. Its quite diverse with the lake, woods, prairie and the cool wooden bridge over the marsh. I will be back soon

Beautifully maintained — Nice hard surface so you can run walk or kids can ride bikes. This place gets pretty busy when the weather is nice. That is actually a bonus though because it always feel safe and Not creepy like some other forest preserves. There are bathrooms on the Cuba side of the trail. I’m not sure about the Barrington side of the trail, but probably because it opens up into a really big park.

We love this place! We like to walk and bike the beautifully groomed trails. They keep the trails nicely groomed. My boys enjoy building tee pees in the trees!

I am new the area and was looking for a good run. Cuba marsh preserve was perfect. 10 – 12 foot wide crushed gravel path (very comfortable). If you just keep taking right turns you’ll end up at Citizens Park (there is a bathroom there), turn around and continue taking right turns will eventually get you back to the parking lot after about 5.5 miles. I didn’t see any deer, but the environment is beautiful. I had to take off the headphones to enjoy the sounds of nature. It wasn’t too buggy, but after a night of rain, the humidity was about as high as it can get… Still worth the trip.

This is the nicest and most well maintained hiking and biking trail! Beautiful! Love it!

Awesome place to take a long walk. They take care of the path and my dog loves coming here. If you come at dawn, you will see deer close to the path.

I met one of my running buddies here today for a frosty five-​mile run. The trails were not plowed or anything, but it was gravel underneath and we were just fine. We had a fantastic close encounter with a mama doe and her babies while we struggled through the snow. There was only one bathroom that I saw in the parking lot at the Cuba Road entrance, so plan accordingly. I didn’t see any water fountains, either.
If you have a dog who needs regular exercise, this would be a great place to check out. We saw several larger-​breed dogs frolicking in the snow and did come upon a little bag dispenser, too.
This place has rolling hills, so if you have a hybrid or mountain bike, you could check this out. It’s not a loop, however, so you might have to make a bunch of turns to get a decent number of miles in.

Great place to walk your dog on a beautiful day. Eat lunch on the benches along the paths. Listen to the birds chirping. Is it a cardinal or a canary? Owl or hawk?

There are many things I miss about Illinois, and Cuba Marsh, in Deer Park, IL, is one of them, especially in the Spring.
When I lived in nearby Barrington, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, I was an avid cyclist. I rode every day, weather permitting, and this forest preserve was one of my favorite destinations to ride to from home.
Cuba Marsh is named for Cuba Road, on its north border. The preserve covers more than 780 acres, and I probably have seen it all from my bicycle. There are miles of gravel trails that I have ridden many times, and I never got tired of the setting. I was often the only person in the preserve, in the early mornings.
The Midwest landscape, although mostly flat in this part of Illinois, is quite beautiful. Cuba Marsh embodies most all of the unique characteristics of the IL terrain: marshland, prairie, and woods… including an oak savannah.
When I circled the preserve on my bike, I would travel through heavily wooded areas, where the shade was welcome on warm days, and then emerge into the prairie grasslands on the gently sloping paths.
I saw all kinds of wildlife, of course, even an occasional red fox, a rare sighting. Many species of birds inhabit Cuba Marsh, and their songs are often the only sounds that break the peaceful silence.
I miss this place. I miss those cycling days gone by, when life was simpler. The rhythmic noise of my mountain bike tires grating on the gravel trails of Cuba Marsh was like music to my ears.
There’s a parking lot, drinking fountain, restrooms, and I recall a couple of picnic tables, but for the most part this preserve is not a social gathering spot but rather a place to just be, alone with nature.
Maybe someone living in that area will post some photos.
If not, then I’ve got a good excuse to go back for a visit…